Playbooks
Overview
U Off Trips takes the standard Shotgun trips look and rebuilds it out of 12 personnel, putting a second tight end into the formation instead of a third true wideout. The "U" designation refers to the flexed tight end working as the inside trips receiver, which means you get a heavier body in the slot cluster while still fielding a three receiver strong side. Compared to spread trips sets in Shotgun, the extra tight end gives you a legitimate gap scheme run threat with Counter, Counter Y, Power, HB Power, and HB Sweep off the same alignment that produces PA Post Shot and Deep Post Corner. Defenses that check into base personnel to match the two tight end look get punished in the passing game, and defenses that stay in nickel or dime get punished on the ground.
The alignment strength is the real weapon here. With trips to one side, the isolated single receiver on the backside is almost always in a one on one situation, and the SLWR tag on this set means you have a slot mismatch working inside the numbers where safety help arrives late. RPO Alert Bubble, RPO Alert X Gift, and RPO Read Flat all let you make that read post snap, so you are not guessing at coverage rotation before the ball is snapped. The Gadget and 3DRB tags open up jet motion concepts through PA Jet Cross and PA Jet Sweep, which force linebackers to widen and open interior throwing windows for the crossers.
Where this set separates itself is the play action package layered on top of a real run game. PA Y Screen, PA TE Out, PA U Corner Flood, and PA Post Shot all sell the same gap run action you are already showing with Power and Counter, so second level defenders bite hard once you have established the run. Mtn QB Blast and Read Option add quarterback run stress that forces user defenders to stay disciplined on the edge, and Post Wheel Shallow gives you a three level flood answer that beats both single high man and Cover 3 depending on how the wheel is bracketed.
Strengths
- Post Wheel Shallow is a true flood concept that stresses Cover 3 vertically while the shallow crosser gives you an immediate man beater underneath, and hot routing the backside isolated receiver to a slant gives you a fourth read against single high.
- Gap scheme run game (Counter, Counter Y, Power, HB Power) hits with real numbers because the second tight end and the trips alignment create a natural overload to the strong side, and defenses in nickel personnel do not have the box bodies to fit it.
- RPO Alert Bubble, RPO Alert X Gift, and RPO Read Flat let you diagnose coverage after the snap, punishing opponents who rely on late safety rotation or press bail disguises.
- Jet motion off PA Jet Cross and PA Jet Sweep pulls linebackers laterally pre snap, which manufactures throwing lanes for crossers and creates run fits that a user controlled defender cannot fill without abandoning the flat.
- PA U Corner Flood and Deep Post Corner attack the same sideline at two levels, which is a clean Cover 4 and Cover 2 beater since the corner route works the seam between the deep defender and the flat player.
Weaknesses
- The trips side declares your strength before the snap, so experienced opponents will overload the trips side with pressure or slide their user defender into the slot window and take away your best inside route immediately.
- 12 personnel gives you fewer speed threats than spread trips sets, so if the defense plays a soft Cover 3 or Cover 6 shell with disciplined flat coverage, the tight end concepts get squeezed and you are throwing into contested windows.
- Backside protection is thin on the play action concepts (PA Post Shot, PA Jet Cross), which means edge pressure from the isolated receiver side gets home before the deep route develops.
- Nano blitz looks aimed at the weak side A gap and B gap create free rushers because the extra tight end is aligned to the strong side and cannot help with the interior slide.
- Heavy run tendencies out of this set are easy to scout, and once an opponent commits to run blitzing the strong side, Power and Counter get stuffed at the point of attack.
Usage Tips
Read the number of defenders in the box before the snap. If the defense stays in nickel or dime, run HB Power or Counter Y into the trips overload. If they check into base, go to PA U Corner Flood or Deep Post Corner and attack the tight end mismatch downfield.
On second and medium, run RPO Alert Bubble and read the slot defender's alignment. If he is stacked inside or the flat is soft, take the bubble immediately for easy yardage and keep the run threat live.
Use PA Jet Sweep and PA Jet Cross in the same series so the jet motion looks identical, then let the crosser work behind the linebackers who widened on the previous rep.
Against man coverage, Post Wheel Shallow is your primary call. Hot route the backside isolated receiver to a drag or slant and let the shallow crosser clear the traffic underneath.
In short yardage or on the goal line, Mtn QB Blast and Read Option punish opponents who commit a user defender to the strong side edge, since the quarterback pull attacks the vacated interior gap.
